-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Taliban official Hakeemullah Mehsud has been selected the new head of the Pakistani Taliban , a local Taliban commander in Pakistan 's federally administered tribal areas told CNN Saturday .

Baitullah Mehsud , right , former leader of the Pakistani Taliban , and a bodyguard in Pakistan , in 2004 .

Mehsud was selected Friday by a 42-member Taliban council , or shura , according to Taliban commander Qari Haris .

Another Taliban official -- Maulvi Faqir Mohammad -- had been tapped as Mehsud 's deputy , Haris said . Mohammad had named himself acting head of the Pakistani Taliban on Wednesday .

A third official -- Hazem Tariq -- was named the group 's new spokesman , Haris added .

The announced selection underscored the contention by Pakistani and U.S. officials that the group 's former leader , Baitullah Mehsud , was killed in an August 5 drone attack in Waziristan .

Both Mohammad and Haris claim Mehsud is alive but ill .

Pakistani officials announced Tuesday that two top figures in the Pakistani Taliban had been arrested . Saif Ullah is believed to have been Baitullah Mehsud 's right-hand man , and Maulvi Umar is the well-known spokesman for the militant group .

Umar recently declared that Mehsud had not been killed in a drone strike on his father-in-law 's house , but a senior Pakistani official said that Umar had admitted under questioning that Mehsud was dead .

The top U.S. envoy to the region , Richard Holbrooke , told CNN that the Pakistani Taliban had not confirmed Mehsud 's death because of an ongoing power struggle over his successor .

Journalists Janullah Hamizshada and Nazar ur Islam contributed to this report .

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Taliban official Hakeemullah Mehsud was selected Friday by 42-member panel

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Taliban officials say former leader Baitullah Mehsud is alive but ill

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Taliban official Maulvi Faqir Mohammad tapped as new leader 's deputy